For Sale By Owner Tips for a Successful Transaction: Find a Good Realtor!

I know you do not want to list your home and you want to save the commission but you should still establish a relationship with a Realtor for several reasons:

A Realtor can help you establish a fair market price for your home based on comparable sales in your area.

A Realtor can help you prepare your home for a sale and give you some staging and marketing tips based on what is going on in your area.

A Realtor can tell you which forms you will need to use throughout the process (Property Disclosure Documents, contract, etc.).

A Realtor can possibly even help you with the paperwork and the transaction once you find a buyer (for a pre-determined fee) so that you have a successful sale.

The first mistake For Sale By Owners make is to think that once they find a buyer, their work is done when in actuality, that's when the work starts. According to the National Association of Realtors, 2 out of 3 transactions do not close when there are no Realtor involved. Don't take that chance. When you interview Realtors, ask them if they can unbundle their fees and possibly help you close the sale once you have a buyer for your home.

Why would a Realtor help you if you're not listing your home, you ask?

Our business is all about relationships and referrals. You may be buying another home or know someone else on the market to buy or sell a home. Besides, only 15 to 20% of For Sale By Owners are successful in selling their homes themselves so there is a great possibility that you will eventually list your home with a Realtor.

Having a Realtor on your side also means that if you can't sell your home on your own, you will know where to turn right away to take the burden off of your hands.

Tip #2: Offer to compensate if a Realtor brings you a buyer

Yes, you want to save the commission but you also want to sell your home, right? If you have a sign in your yard, Realtors will call you to either list your home or get information about your home if they think they might have a buyer for it. Don't push them away; they may be able to help you sell your home.

If you've established a relationship with a Realtor (see tip #1) and another agent call, simply say: "I have a Realtor that will list my home if I am unable to sell it on my own, however, if you bring me a buyer, I will compensate you __% or $________" (for a fixed dollar amount).

When we work with buyers, we try to find them the best house for them and sometimes that home happens to be a FSBO (many of my buyers have bought FSBO in the past and still used me as their agent in the transaction). Be nice and polite to Realtors when they call. Who knows where your buyer will be coming from?

Very good points. Sometimes they are successful at getting the home sold but more often than not they will eventually call the agent who was kind enough to offer their time and do the CMA and give them professional advice.

Also, I would include in your post that FSBOS that do sell end up selling almost 16% less than if they use a REaltor (NAR statistic) So, only a small percentage sell and those that do end up selling for less.

Great post. One tweak I would make comes from the age old real estate rule of "Location, Location, Location!" When it comes to FSBO's the rule should be "Price, Price, Price". This is the bigest problem I run into with FSBO's. They are almost always way over price. I could go on and on about price, but I think I'll save that for a blog of my own.

Nice post. I frequently visit FSBO's and give them the forms they need to fill out if they find a buyer. Then I offer help if they have any problems. Frequently they do call and I help them, for a fee. Same as any professional, right?

Chantal, I wish FSBO's would be more cooperative and not know it alls! I have not had much luck with them here in Lake Charles. I think they are hard headed cajuns! Enjoyed your post it is encouraging!

Hi Chantal -- I have gladly represented buyers who have purchased FSBO homes. I try to determine if FSBOs are simply trying to drain all my Intellectual Property for free and then go it alone, I don't have any interest in helping someone for free. I will gladly meet with them, talk generalities, etc., but that's it. After all, it's a business and my business is about making my clients successful.

I have always admired your position and advice to the FSBO market in our local Louisiana market.

I will continue to drive all FSBO's I encounter as a stager your way, becasue I know you will handle them with aplomb and allow them the courtesy they deserve to try it on their own, and the decency to catch them when they falter.

The first thing I do when talking to FSBOs is figure out if they are receptive to my help or not. Some of them are rude, even on the phone, so I usually don't pursue them. I don't need clients like that.

However, I find that many are receptive to talking to me and listening to what I have to say. I always come from contribution and share some of my knowledge with them.

According to an appraiser I know, about 30% of transactions in our area are FSBOs, which is higher than in other areas. However, it also means that 70% will eventually hire a Realtor to help them sell their home. I want to be that person when the time comes.

Some of the posts here are calling FSBO's 'more coopoerative and know it alls'. 'Mercurial and difficult to deal with'. Umm, excuse me? Who are YOU - Someone who cold called them after they made it clear they are advertising themselves?

How about telling Realtors not to badger the you-know-what out of a FSBO seller? or treat them like irritating dumbos? You know what you all often do: it's non-stop with promises of the moon, until your own sale listing is signed. News flash: they are selling FSBO because ethey don't/can't pay the huge fees. Or don't trust you (take an honest step back and try to think from their perspective). Stop bothering them! if they want you they will find you.

You act like vultures and then wonder why they don't respect your 'expertise'.

Some of the posts here are calling FSBO's 'uncooperative' and 'know it alls'. 'Mercurial and difficult to deal with'. Umm, excuse me?! Who are YOU - Someone who cold called them after they made it clear they are advertising themselves?

How about telling Realtors not to badger the you-know-what out of a FSBO seller? or treat them like irritating dumbos? You know what you all often do: it's non-stop with promises of the moon, until your own sale listing is signed. News flash: they are selling FSBO because ethey don't/can't pay the huge fees. Or don't trust you (take an honest step back and try to think from their perspective). Stop bothering them! if they want you they will find you.

You act like vultures and then wonder why they don't respect your 'expertise'.

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